Jindal administration wins delay on campaign finance disclosure bill

AP Photo/Tim MuellerLouisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal speaks to a joint legislative session Monday in Baton Rouge. His administration won a delay today on a campaign finance disclosure bill that would require elected officials to disclosure information about contributions from those they hire or appoint.

BATON ROUGE -- Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration effectively delayed action Wednesday on a bill that would require politicians to disclose information about the campaign contributions they receive from people they hire or appoint to public posts.

Jindal vetoed a version of Rep. Neil Abramson's proposal last year, but the governor says that he supports the concept as a way to increase government transparency.

The rub is in the details. Administration legal adviser Jimmy Faircloth told the House Governmental Affairs Committee that the governor wants the burden of disclosure on appointees or public employees. House Bill 243 puts the requirement on the elected official making the hire or appointment.

Faircloth said Abramson's way is "burdensome" because it would require more staff time for vetting potential nominees to thousands of public posts. The governor's executive office already includes staff whose specific role is to handle the appointments process.

The administration's tactics drew criticism from legislators who said Jindal appears to be avoiding the kind of transparency he asked of lawmakers last year, when he pushed through more stringent disclosure for public officials' personal finances.

"I don't understand why what's good for the goose is not good for the gander," Rep. Karen Carter Peterson, D-New Orleans, said.

Faircloth said that his personal financial disclosure -- and the governor's -- is more detailed than what is required of the Legislature. "We are supporting more transparency," Faircloth said.

Nonetheless, the administration virtually assured a delay on a vote because it failed to produce a written amendment before today's hearing. Committee rules require that members have at least 24 hours to review amendments before casting a vote.

Abramson told committee Chairman Rick Gallot, D-Ruston, that he asked Jindal aides for copies of any amendments Tuesday. "They refused to give them to me," he said. "I cannot be accused of glossing over something that I have not seen."

While the bill applies most heavily to the governor, other state officials have some appointing authority. Abramson said he has not heard opposition from any of them and none testified today.

The bill would apply to elected officials representing at least 5,000 people, which covers all state office holders. The politician's annual financial disclosure statements would have to include detailed information about certain staff hires or appointees to a state board or commission if those people contributed at least $1,000 to a campaign of the elected official.

The identities of appointees and listing of campaign donors of at least $1,000 already are available separately for public inspection. Abramson said a more direct link is needed to bypass the arduous comparison necessary to cross-reference donors with appointees.

Gallot's committee is scheduled to hear additional transparency bills later this morning, including a proposal from Rep. Wayne Waddell, R-Shreveport, to make records in the governor's office available for public inspection.

Louisiana is one of the few states in the country that exempts such documents from the open records law. The Jindal administration was successful last year in limiting Waddell's efforts.

Bill Barrow can be reached at bbarrow@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5590.